POINT OF ORDER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 173, 24 July 1941, Page 4

POINT OF ORDER

SPEAKER'S RULING

CRITICISM OUTSIDE HOUSE

(By Telegraph.—Pe.-liamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The ruling that he could not allow statements gravely reflecting on members, although made outside the House, to be repeated in the House, was given by Mr. Speaker during Mr. Semple's speech in the Budget debate last night.

Mr. Semple was quoting a report of an address given outside the House by the member for Central Otago. Mr. Bodkin, which stated that the Minister of Finance was guiding the country in the direction of Naziism, when Mr. Speaker intervened.

Although such statements might be made outside the House, said Mr. Speaker, he would definitely prevent such attacks being made on" members in the Chamber.

The acting-Prime Minister, speaking to a point of order, asked if Mr. Speaker's ruling meant that although anything might be said outside the House about the Government or a member of the House, it could not be replied to inside the House.

Mr. Speaker replied that such statements could be replied to outside the House.

To a question from Mr. Nash as to what procedure might be adopted in case of statements that might tend to disintegrate the Government Mr. Speaker said that the proper course in dealing with such statements would be for a member to introduce the matter in the form of a substantive motion.

Mr. Semple said he had no other course than to adopt Mr. Speaker's ruling, but he was of the opinion that the people of the Dominion should know of the wicked things that had been said, and he would take some other opportunity in future of telling them.

Mr. Lee 'Democratic Labour. Grey Lynn): Only last week I was likened to Hitler by members of the Labour party.

Mr. Semple: I am sorry about that. No one has any right to liken any man to that bloodthirsty monster.